Yan watched as the young man with the Beast-Tar aura made a round through the pet-friendly carriage before returning to their group with the train conductor.
The little cat, Pengpeng, lay quietly in her carrier. The young man crouched down again, observing her for a long mont, then let out a few soft ows. Pengpeng responded from inside the carrier.
After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, "Is this little one paralyzed? Are you heading to Ning City for treatnt?"
Xiao Qingnang gave a slight nod. "I’m a first-level acupuncturist. Since I can’t stay at school during the break, I’m taking her ho to continue treatnt."
The young man’s eyes lit up, as if seeing them in a new light. "You’re a traditional veterinary doctor?"
His nose twitched slightly, as though trying to catch a familiar scent.
"No, my family practices traditional dicine, but I’m currently studying Western dicine at Bin University," Xiao Qingnang replied.
"I see. Would you mind showing your credentials?" the young man asked after a mont of hesitation.
The train conductor patted his shoulder, and the young man seed to suddenly realize his request might have been too forward. "Ah, sorry—that might’ve been a bit abrupt."
anwhile, the conductor, wearing a wide-brimd hat, studied Xiao Qingnang and Pengpeng’s carrier as if recalling sothing.
"You three are from Bin University, right?"
The trio nodded, and the conductor visibly relaxed. "So this must be the famous kitten, Pengpeng? You’ve taken such good care of her."
He exchanged a few quiet words with the young man, and Yan guessed they were probably ntioning Xiao’s previous social dia fa.
When the two finished speaking, she noticed the "Beast-Tar" now looked at Xiao Qingnang with the gaze of soone spotting rare potential.
The young man seed to want to say sothing but held back, eventually pulling out his phone.
Clearly more comfortable with animals than people, he gestured animatedly before finally exchanging contact details with Xiao Qingnang.
Yan and Zhu Jue also learned that the young man’s na was Yi Lude, currently working at the Xia Country Animal Research Institute—though he didn’t specify his exact position.
After Yi Lude left, Yan quietly searched his na on her phone and quickly confird his identity: a specially appointed expert at the National Animal Research Institute, not even thirty years old yet! Strangely, there were no photos of him on the institute’s website—perhaps for security reasons?
Yan wasn’t sure, but there was no denying he was an Aura-bearer through and through!
Then again, considering the specially composed music playing in the pet-friendly carriage, it seed Yi Lude’s abilities had already been officially recognized and utilized by the state.
Being able to create music that soothed animals, and coordinating with such a high-level expert, clearly ant his talents were fully integrated into national efforts.
This was the first ti Yan had encountered an Aura-bearer affiliated with a state institution—aside from Tan Dabao and Tan Xiaobao, of course.
Though, now that she thought about it, her sample size had been limited before university. Back then, the only Aura-bearers she’d known were the Tan siblings and Xu Jiaojiao.
It was only after coming to Bin City for university that the number of Aura-bearers around her had exploded.
Now, Yan found herself lost in thought—was the Aura phenonon not tied to Ning City, but actually a Bin City peculiarity?
But then… what about the four reincarnated scoundrels from the desert town, or Kaka whom she’d t on the way to the mountains, and now Beast-Tar Yi Lude on this high-speed train from Bin City back to the capital? How did they fit into this?
She shook her head. If she couldn’t figure it out, she wouldn’t dwell on it.
The Beast-Tar had added Xiao’s contact—probably for future collaboration on animal treatnts. Given his expert status, his influence must be considerable. But as they say, more friends an more opportunities. Yan noted how genuinely concerned Yi Lude had seed about little Pengpeng.
She wondered what a Beast-Tar’s daily life was like. Did he spend all his ti communicating with animals?
If a person could talk to animals, they’d probably uncover countless secrets of the world. Seeing life through the eyes of animals—what a unique perspective that must be.
At 3 p.m., after sitting in the pet-friendly compartnt for an hour and napping for another, Yan stood up carefully to stretch.
The high-speed train journey was already halfway over. After stopping at Jinling Station around 2 p.m., it had been nonstop to the capital, Ning City.
The soothing music in the pet carriage still played, but by now Yan had grown accustod to it.
She made her way to the restroom. While washing her hands, the train’s intercom suddenly crackled to life.
"Ladies and gentlen, a passenger in Carriage 8 is experiencing a dical ergency. Any dical professionals on board, please proceed to assist imdiately. Thank you."
The announcent was loud and urgent, repeated several tis by the conductor. Yan hurried out of the restroom.
Their pet-friendly carriage *was* Carriage 8—had one of the pet owners suddenly fallen ill? An acute allergic reaction, perhaps?
Yan could only hope it wasn’t too serious—sothing like low blood sugar would be manageable.
If it *was* sothing severe, they’d have to rely on Xiao, their resident dical prodigy.
With only eight carriages on this train, there might not be many doctors aboard. Zhu Jue was just a first-year d student—Xiao was their only real hope!
Exiting the restroom, Yan saw Zhu Jue and Xiao already gathered around the middle-aged man traveling with a parrot.
The parrot, now awake, flapped wildly in its cage, chirping anxiously.
The train conductor and another attendant stood nearby, waiting anxiously, ready to assist however needed.
The man, sitting alone with his parrot, had taken up a row of three seats (since the carriage wasn’t full), placing the cage on the floor by the window while he sat on the aisle side.
Now, his face was contorted, drool trickling from the corner of his mouth. His consciousness seed hazy—Xiao was asking him questions, but the man could barely respond, his speech slurred and labored.
"Stroke," Xiao Qingnang said succinctly.
Two other doctors from different carriages arrived, their expressions grim as they assessed the situation.
"Make another announcent—ask if anyone has aspirin or Plavix," one of them said, his face tense.
"Stroke" was the colloquial term—dically, it was a cerebral vascular incident, requiring imdiate intervention.
If no passengers had the necessary dication, this would be the worst-case scenario.
Even if the train coordinated with the nearest station and hospital, every passing second was a race against the clock for the man’s life and future health.
Xiao Qingnang had already pulled out his acupuncture kit. As a certified traditional dicine practitioner, he was authorized to administer treatnt even on a moving train.
Zhu Jue swiftly displayed Xiao’s traditional dicine and acupuncture licenses.
"We can’t wait," Xiao said.
Without hesitation, he began inserting the needles.
Standing by, Yan’s heart pounded as she watched.
**Docunt Translation:**
The announcent for dical assistance had already been broadcasted over the train’s intercom. Inside Carriage 8, a series of acupuncture needles were now inserted into the scalp of the middle-aged man who had suffered a stroke.
Though this was technically a pet-friendly carriage, Yan felt the compartnt was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The other passengers with pets either sat or stood in tense silence, barely daring to breathe, afraid of disturbing the treatnt.
Xiao Qingnang continued applying the needles with precision.
Yan noticed that his hand movents varied subtly when targeting different acupuncture points.
Though only two minutes had passed, it felt like an eternity.
Finally, the man regained consciousness and muttered, *“What happened to ?”* The entire carriage collectively exhaled in relief.
The drooling had stopped, his awareness was clear, and he answered the doctor’s questions coherently—completely restored to normal. All of this had happened in just two minutes.
A murmur of celebration rippled through the carriage. Yan noticed people from other compartnts crowding near the connecting doors, but the train attendants waved them off, assuring them everything was under control.
*“You’ll be fine for today, but I strongly recomnd getting a full check-up at the hospital as soon as possible. Try to avoid extre emotional fluctuations,”* Xiao Qingnang said as he withdrew the needles.
The train attendant, now visibly relieved, imdiately began contacting the man’s family.
*“Young man, are you trained in traditional dicine? Is it a family practice?”*
The two other doctors who had rushed to assist now stared at Xiao Qingnang with keen interest, not to ntion the awestruck passengers who had witnessed the miracle firsthand.
*“Bin University’s dical school? Ah, from Ning City! Excellent, excellent.”*
*“Doctor, I overheard earlier—you also do acupuncture for cats, right? Can I get your contact?”*
*“That was insane! A stroke treated in two minutes? Traditional dicine is next-level!”*
The recovered man, composed despite the ordeal, had only now realized the severity of his condition from the murmurs around him. He imdiately grasped Xiao Qingnang’s hands.
*“Young man—no, my savior. You saved my life.”*
He clearly understood how critical a stroke could be, and the rapid intervention had snatched him back from death’s door.
Zhu Jue had already returned to their seats, but Yan noticed Xiao Qingnang remained with the man, monitoring his condition while the other doctors took his dical history.
Yan and Zhu Jue exchanged a glance, both exhaling in relief.
Soon, the other doctors returned to their own compartnts, but the passengers in Carriage 8 buzzed with excitent. The rescued man, now effusive with gratitude, repeatedly addressed Xiao Qingnang as *“Divine Healer Xiao.”*
*“Divine Healer Xiao, please give your address—I must send you a comndation banner! A hero—no, a prodigy of traditional dicine! To have a young talent like you is a blessing!”*
*“You’re studying Western dicine at Bin University? Even better! ‘Learn their strengths to surpass them’—brilliant!”*
*“Stay calm, breathe deeply,”* Xiao Qingnang soothed him.
*“Wait—the doctor who treated the paralyzed cat with Gu Jiasui! The one who trended!”*
A passenger pieced together the clues and gasped.
The carriage erupted.
*“The d student who almost got cyberbullied? The one who saved that cat?”*
*“Hold on, this is the pet carriage… Did Divine Healer Xiao bring his cat ho?”*
For the next two hours, the pets remained quiet—but the humans did not.
Yan and Zhu Jue could only shrug helplessly at Xiao Qingnang’s pleading glance. There was no rescuing him—he still had to monitor the patient.
By the ti the high-speed train arrived in Ning City, Yan wasn’t surprised to see breaking headlines:
**#TraditionaldicineProdigySavesStrokeVictimIn2Minutes—SadStudentWhoTreatedParalyzedCatWithGuJiasui**
**#YouthfulGenius—BinUniversitydStudentPerformsTrainAcupunctureMiracle**
The accompanying footage was clearly fild by a passenger in Carriage 8.
Since so transport services refused pets, Yan had wisely pre-booked a private car. They dropped Xiao Qingnang and his cat Pengpeng off first before heading ho.
As the hashtags trended, Yan was grateful for her foresight.
Before the 6 PM rush worsened, the car pulled up to Xiao Qingnang’s ho, where a teenager was already waiting to help with the luggage. Yan and Zhu Jue stayed inside.
*“Xiao, lay low for a few days,”* Yan warned.
*“Stay vigilant,”* Zhu Jue added.
After Chu Shen’s *fried rice incident* had blown up online, they knew how quickly privacy vanished.
*“Got it. It’s getting colder—you two stay in too,”* Xiao Qingnang replied, smiling. *“You’re always welco to visit and Pengpeng.”*
At 6:30 PM, the capital’s roads were a gridlock.
By 7, the temperature dropped further as Yan and Zhu Jue finally reached the faculty housing complex of Ning City University.
Pulling their suitcases inside, Yan inhaled deeply.
*“Hah! No smog tonight—just crisp, dry winter air.”*
This was the winter she knew.
*“Yan! Zhu Jue! What are you two standing around for? Forget where you live after six months?”*
Aunt Huang’s voice bood from the doorway.
*“We’re back, Aunt Huang!”* Yan called.
In the winter quiet, voices carried far.
Under the streetlights, two tall figures sprinted toward them.
*“Sis! Bro!”*
*“Bro! Sis!”*
No need to see their faces—their radiant energy alone announced them: *The Twin Prodigies*.
Tan Dabao, tall and lanky, took Yan’s suitcase while Tan Xiaobao, bundled in a knit hat, hooked an arm through hers.
*“Hurry up! Dinner’s waiting—we’re starving!”*
Yan and Zhu Jue quickened their steps, warmth in their eyes. After half a year away, they were finally ho.
Reviews
All reviews (0)